About Kira Matus

Kira Matus is a sustainability expert who caught the travel bug as a child from her father (and fellow blogger, Roger Matus). A native New Englander, she has done a thorough survey of the region's lively student culture while earning her ScB (Chemistry, Brown University), SM (Technology and Policy, MIT), and PhD (Public Policy, Harvard). With her studies finally at an end, she has been working as a Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale University.

Despite her employer's location in quaint New Haven, CT, Kira has been living in exile from her beloved NE, delving into the DC policy scene while residing in Northern Virginia.

Her focus is innovation for sustainable development, and she studies and writes on the development of green technologies and products in the chemical sector, along with innovation, environment and S&T policies in the US, China and India. This work has allowed her to visit some of the wonders of the world, like the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall. It has also allowed her to spend time in some of the most polluted industrial areas these places have to offer, which gives her an unusual perspective on her travels.

When she isn't touring industrial sites, Kira is likely to be found deeply engaged in complex cooking, baking and brewing projects, hiking, biking (or being a gym rat when the weather refuses to cooperate) or reading just about anything she can get her hands on. This fall, she will embarking on her first long-term international relocation, taking up residence in London.

Latest Posts by Kira Matus

During my most recent trip to China, I decided to branch out a little, culinarily speaking. After all, when I’m at home, I tend to rotate through a whole bunch of different ethnic cuisines. Given the explosion of dining options in Beijing, I thought it would be interesting to do a bit of the same.

In one ten day period, I managed to sample Iranian, Thai, Vietnamese, Asian-Fusion, Mexican, Scandinavian, Tex-Mex and two French-style bakeries. Of course, there was plenty of Chinese food too, including Beijing specialties (duck, of course), amazing dumplings, and delicious ethnic cuisine from the southern province of Guizhou.

Of the non-Chinese food, some of it was good, some of it was mediocre. And some of it was a bit disappointing.

For some reason, I was most excited to test out Mexican. Mexican Wave has been in business for at least a decade, and probably more.

It looks the part, and has more than a few enthusiastic supporters. It was also only a few blocks from my hotel, which made it an easy pick for lunch.

And I will admit that my sandwich was perfectly fine, and quite enormous. But the salsa was mild! That’s right- in a nation where the use of chili peppers in cuisine is an art form, the salsa came across as bland. Lesson learned. The next time I’m in Beijing and need a spicy fix, I should stick to Sichuan restaurants.

Last year was the first time since 1997 that I did not so much as step foot on Martha’s Vineyard. So this summer, I decided that at the very least, I had to make sure that I at least managed a day trip. It might not capture the full experience, but at the very least it would scratch the itch. And honestly, for this particular Massachusetts native, summer isn’t really summer without a trip to Murdick’s fudge and a picnic on the lawn at Tanglewood. Unfortunately, the Berkshires are not in the cards this summer. But the magic of Murdick’s called to me across the water.

My husband and mother-in-law were willing partners in crime. So we climbed in the car and wound our way down Route 28, past the mini-golf courses and tourist traps that are part of the charm of the southern part of the Cape, towards the picturesque villages of Mashpee and Falmouth. We were aiming for a 12pm ferry; at 11:52 we were pulling into an insanely overpriced private parking garage in Woods Hole. I ran for tickets, and we got into the walk-on line just as they started boarding the foot traffic. No waiting, no fuss, and plenty of space on deck at the front of the boat.

The Ferry from Woods Hole to Oak Bluffs

The heat all week had been brutal. Those 45 minutes on the bow of the ferry, wind whipping through my hair, were probably the most comfortable that I had been in days. Perfect sunny day, sea breeze, seagulls swooping overhead- the Vineyard seemed keen to show off all of the things that make me love it. And since we didn’t have to deal with a car, bad weather, Presidential Secret-Service details, or the price of groceries (or gas, or pretty much anything) on island, I savvily avoided the less idyllic elements.

We made a beeline from the ferry terminal in Oak Bluffs to Circuit Ave. Not much changes in Oak Bluffs. A few stores or restaurants come and go; the arcade moved a block a few years back to where one of the “night clubs” used to be; otherwise, things were comfortingly the same. After a quick spin through town, with stomachs growling, we headed to the first stop.

Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs

My husband contends that The Offshore Alehouse may be his favorite spot on the planet. We have spent many a night with a pile of friends squeezed into one of their spacious, high-backed, dark wooden booths, sharing pitchers of their beer and accumulating piles of shredded peanut shells that we sweep onto the floor whenever they get too large. Come on an evening, and you’ll often find live music of one sort or another, and of course the Red Sox game.

This particular afternoon was World Cup semifinals time, and we had to make do with a table in the corner. But the beer did not disappoint, and from the accounts of my companions, the oysters were delicious. I’m still mourning the fact that they stopped brewing their Golden Ale several years back (I considered this my absolute favorite beer. Ever.), and since I can’t eat fish, I do find the menu a little boring and pricey ($15 chicken quesadillas? Really?). But unlike my last visit two years ago, the staff were friendly and accommodating, and didn’t seem intent on getting us in and out as fast as possible.

After a long and satisfying lunch, it was time to move onto other business. Murdick’s was next. I’m not sure how they manage to get their fudge to solidify in what was approaching 90 degree heat, but the product was delicious, as usual. So was my frozen yogurt at Mad Martha’s. Once again, I got hit with Island sticker shock. My single scoop was twice the cost of my very generous soft serve cone at Captain Frosty’s in Dennis the night before. Definitely Boston city pricing, as opposed to the ridiculous quantities of fantastic ice cream that can be had for the same, or less price, at places like Kimball’s and Erikson’s out in the Boston suburbs. Still a worthwhile $4 on a hot, summer day. And I’m not going to quibble over my only MV ice cream of the season.

Making Fudge at Murdick's

A Large Cone at Mad Martha's

That was the end of eating for the day. There was also a little bit of shopping- tshirts and cute hats, but we barely had enough time to hurry back to the ferry. This time, we sat inside and caught the end of the Germany-Spain match. All three of us were droopy and a bit forlorn when we arrived back on the mainland. We’d gotten almost exactly three hours in one of our favorite places, which really just whetted our appetites. Without a chance to at least take a quick swim, the day felt a little incomplete. But we’ll just have to come back again next year. For at least a week this time.

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